Peripheral T cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (PTCLs) account for 15% to 20% of aggressive lymphomas and for 7% to 10% of all the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) in Western countries. They usually occur in middle-aged to elderly patients, and presenting features are characterized by a disseminated disease in 68% of the patients, with systemic symptoms in nearly half of them (45%), bone marrow (BM) involvement in a quarter (25.8%), and extranodal disease in a third (37%). Despite aggressive therapy, more than half the patients die of their disease. While certain distinctive disease entities have improved prognostics if treated, the prognosis for many aggressive PTCLs remains relatively unchanged by the use of second- and third-generation chemotherapy regimens and 5-year overall survival (OS) still remains between 25% and 47% for PTCL-NOS, for example.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for improved benefit to patients having PTCL.